The United States of America: Is it a democracy, or not?

September 17, 2024

An article on the Analyzing America website goes into a good bit of detail about America’s status as a democracy. Much of that article follows.

“A CNN reporter addressed Trump supporters calling the U.S. a republic as an ‘attack on democracy,’ sparking a debate on the country’s governance. 

Historian Anne Applebaum emphasized America as a democratic nation, attributing doubts to Trump’s influence and narrative. 

“The discussion delved into the constitutional definition of a republic, historical views on democracy, and the distinction between forms of governance. 

“‘America is a democracy. It was founded as a democracy,’ Applebaum said.

‘I’ve heard a lot of conspiracy theories. I hear a lot of things out on the road, but to hear Americans, people who would describe themselves as patriots, say that America is not a democracy, that stopped me in my tracks,’ CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan said.

“‘You are hearing people say America is not a democracy because there are people around Trump who want them to be saying that, who’ve been planting that narrative,’ Applebaum said.

“‘Honestly, the word ‘democracy’ and the word ‘republic’ have often been used interchangeably,’ Applebaum said. ‘There isn’t a meaningful difference between them.’

“‘If they can convince people that we don’t have a democracy, then it’s okay that Trump is attacking democracy, because it doesn’t really matter,’ Applebaum added. 

“‘There is, of course, a legitimate debate discussion to be had on what form of democracy we have here in the United States, direct democracy, representative democracy, in fact, constitutional republic, which you heard people mentioned in that piece, that is a form of democracy. But look, this is not actually a debate about government, about democracy, it’s an attack on democracy,’ O’Sullivan said. ‘People have heard the warnings that Trump is a danger to democracy, and therefore you have people trying to convince others that, well, the United States isn’t a democracy in the first place, and therefore Trump can’t be a threat.’”

The reality is that the U.S. is not now, and has never been, a pure democracy.

A democracy is a political system that focuses on universal equality, where the people select their rulers by a majority vote at the polls. Essentially, a 50.1 percent majority can decide what goes and what does not, and the 49.9 percent minority is at the mercy of the majority. These rulers have absolute power, and they may make whatever laws they want by a majority vote among themselves.

Similarly, a republic is a form of government more focused on individual liberty, and is ruled by representatives of the citizenry on the principle that sovereignty is with the people, not just the government. However, exactly who is considered in the category of “the people” is not a hard and fast thing that may be misused.

Our Founders saw potential problems with both of those systems in their pure form. According to Colonial Williamsburg online, a “democratic government, they feared, might dissolve into anarchy. A republican system, conversely, invited an aristocracy to rise.”

So, they decided to go with neither in its pure form, and instead designed a system which combined features of each of them, and which is superior to both: a constitutional republic.

In a constitutional republic the people also select their rulers by a majority vote at the polls. But these rulers are restricted in what they can do and how they must do it by the U.S. Constitution.

So, while the nation observes democratic principles, referring to it as a democracy is inaccurate. And criticizing those who refer to it as a republic is out of bounds, because it actually is a republic, the government of which is controlled by a constitution.

However, by criticizing those identifying the country as a republic, their effort to sell the democracy angle is somewhat advanced.

Many of those who call the country a democracy know that the term is not accurate, but wish it was. They prefer a democracy to the constitutional republic we now have.

Efforts have been underway for many years to subvert our constitutional republic and turn it into a democracy. This would provide the left the control over the rest of us that they have been so desperately seeking.

By continuing to do this, these people obscure the true system of our government. It is their hope that most Americans will go along with this mis-identification and come to regard America as a democracy. 

In doing this, the door for America to become a totalitarian state is opened, and the effort to put into the dustbin of history a government system superior to any yet devised is well underway.

All great nations eventually fall, sometimes because of actions of other nations, but also sometimes from factions within it. If that is allowed to happen to the United States of America, the likelihood of there ever being another like it is virtually nil.

Should this effort succeed, it will be due in large part to the failure of our culture, particularly the family, the education system, and the no-longer-neutral or honorable news media.

We must strongly oppose this subversive effort.

A Tale of 2 Nations: Ancient Rome and the United States of America

November 21, 2023

Rome is generally considered to be the cradle of Western civilization and Christian culture. It was a republic — as is the United States of America —from about 509 BCE (Before the Common Era) until 27 BCE.

It was responsible for many things that we now see as normal and important aspects of our country, including state institutions, law, cultural values, religious beliefs, technological advances, and engineering. Rome was unique, espousing the principle of moderation in politics, unheard of at that time.

It became the most powerful state in the world in a fairly short time through a combination of military power, political flexibility, and economic expansion. And it survived for nearly 500 years. 

The Roman republic may have been the model for, or at least an influence in the formation of the United States of America. It had a separation of powers, with the Romans and their magistrates, Senate, and assemblies and tribunes. In America we have a president, Congress, and a federal court system.

A republic with as long a life as Rome experienced has become somewhat of a target for America: Can America last as long as Rome did? Perhaps we can learn from Rome’s demise, and behave accordingly.

The primary reasons cited as responsible for Rome’s downfall are: 
* government corruption and political instability; 
* economic and social problems, such as the loss of traditional values; 
* the weakening of its military; 
* the weakening of its border, resulting in an invasion by Germanic tribes.

About America’s point of evolution, William Strauss and Neil Howe wrote the following in The Fourth Turning, An American Prophecy. “Though we live in an era of relative peace and comfort, we have settled into a mood of pessimism about the long-term future, fearful that our superpower nation is somehow rotting from within.” 

“Not long ago, America was more than the sum of its parts. Now, it is less,” they continued. “Around World War II we were proud as a people but modest as individuals. Fewer than two people in ten said ‘yes’ when asked, ‘Are you a very important person?’ Today, more than six in ten say ‘yes.’ Where we once thought ourselves collectively strong, we now regard ourselves as individually entitled.”

This assessment seems pretty much on the mark. And it was written in 1997. Did we turn the corner and change our ways, refocusing on the positive aspects of our country’s design? Or, are we still heading down the same road to demise as ancient Rome?

Unfortunately, things have only gotten worse. 

We see our government growing in size and imposing more and more restrictions on “we, the people.” Parents who express their displeasure with the schools that their taxes support are sometimes labeled “domestic terrorists.”  Inflation resulting from poor policies has hurt everyone in the country.

Our government has adopted the practice of cancelling some good things that were done in the past. Like reversing our recently re-achieved position of energy independence, and being a net exporter of oil and natural gas. Canceling construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, that cost 11,000 jobs, 8,000 of which were union jobs. 

The government also temporarily stopped granting permits for oil and gas operations on federal lands, which reduced U.S. oil production so that we have to make up the difference by purchasing from other countries. These actions also forced other countries who were buying fuels from us to now also purchase them elsewhere. 

The disaster at the southern border allows tens of thousands of people to illegally enter the country every month. We have little or no idea who these people are, and what their reasons are for coming here. 

Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died from fentanyl coming in illegally. Other drugs also come in illegally. Children and women are being trafficked, and an unknown number of potential terrorists have entered from other countries. Some are on the terror watch list.

The military has leaned toward wokeness, which weakens its critical abilities. Three of the four major services are having trouble recruiting new members. 

These problems come not from the men and women in the military ranks, but the leaders. They seem to think emphasizing differences based on race, ethnicity, and sex, and basing promotions on quota requirements rather than merit are good.

The government has been quietly watching as China’s highly disciplined military is growing. The influence of Iran in the attack on Israel is not being met with a sensible response, and attacks on nearby US bases are not being actively or effectively countered with actions.

Our long-standing traditions have not been passed on to younger generations. We have allowed the two-parent family to virtually disappear. Our education system and news media are suffering from significant corruption. The attitude of so many younger people to support Hamas terrorism and condemn Israel’s justified response is mind boggling.

There is still time to correct these grave problems, but not very much. If we don’t soon restore the original and unique American spirit and its sensible values, we will follow in the tracks of the Roman Empire, and be nothing more than a sad story of stupidity in future history books.